Washington County Housing Authority

Waiting Lists

Learn more about Washington County Housing Authority.

Open: Washington County Housing Authority Public Housing

Please Note: Due to the decentralized nature of affordable housing information, the information about this waiting list may be out of date.

The Washington County Housing Authority is currently accepting public housing waiting list applications for families and senior/disabled individuals.

This housing authority offers seven public housing communities with 890 units for families and senior/disabled individuals, located throughout Washington County.

To apply for public housing, please follow this link to download an application.

Once the application has been completed, it must be mailed to the housing authority, located at 100 Crumrine Towers, Franklin St. Washington, PA 15301. No documents are needed at this time.

This housing authority does have a preference point system that may improve your spot on the waiting list: displaced by a natural disaster, displaced by government action, victim of domestic violence, employed, enrolled in a job or educational training program, or live and/or work in Washington County.

More information can be found by visiting the housing authority website at http://wchapa.org/, or by calling 724-2289-6060 during normal office hours.
Reasonable Accommodation

Applicants who need help completing the application due to disability can make a reasonable accommodation request to the housing authority via (724)228-6060.

Next Steps

Learn more about what happens after the application is submitted.

Last Updated on 05/29/2015.

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Closed: Washington County Housing Authority Section 8 HCV

The Washington County Housing Authority (WCHA) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is currently closed. It is not known when the waiting list was last open, or when it will reopen.

Last Updated on 07/20/2015.

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About Washington County Housing Authority

100 South Franklin Street, Washington, PA | Visit Website | (724) 228-6060

Washington County Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 1,901 low and moderate income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Public Housing programs..

Housing Authority Jurisdiction

Low-income housing managed by Washington County Housing Authority is located in Washington County, PA.

Households with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher managed by this housing authority must rent within its jurisdiction.

About the Washington County Housing Authority Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

As of the HUDs most recent Voucher Management System report, Washington County Housing Authority manages 822 active Housing Choice Vouchers.

The following table summarizes types of vouchers managed and the monthly costs of each as of December 31st, 2021:

Standard Tenant Protection Ported Out VASH
Vouchers 800 9 2 2
Monthly Cost Per Voucher $492 $194 $1,004 $211
Monthly Cost $393,802 $1,745 $2,007 $422
Waiting List and Tenancy

According to the 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households database, the housing authority's voucher program has an annual turnover of 10% having issued approximately 87 vouchers in the past year. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 7 years and 8 months. According to the 2016 PSH database, persons who were issued a voucher in the preceding 12 months waited an average of 25 months on the waiting list1.

Income Characteristics

According to 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households data, the average voucher household contains 1.8 persons and has a household income of $12,607 per year. 98% of households were very low income (VLI) and 71% were extremely low income (ELI). 16% of households had wages as a major source of income, 2% of households had welfare (TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance) as their primary source of income, and 75% of households had other income (Social Security, Disability or Pension) as their major source of income.

Heads of Household Characteristics

2% of households were headed by a person 24 years old or less, 38% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 23% were headed by a person 51 to 60 years old, and 37% were headed by a person 62 years old or older. In addition, 8% of households were headed by a person 85 years old or older.

33% of households included children, 2% of which had two adults in the household. 30% of households with children have a female head of household. 85% of all households were headed by a female.

25% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 24% of all heads of households being Black and -1% being Hispanic.

Of all households participating in the Washington County Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher program, 30% include at least one person with a disability. 49% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 37% of households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.

Bedroom Size and Overhousing

57% of voucher holders reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom, 24% with 2 bedrooms and 20% with 3 or more bedrooms. 7% of voucher recipients are considered overhoused, meaning they occupy a rental unit larger than their family size requires.

Rent, Assistance, and Utility Allowances

The average monthly tenant contribution to rent by Washington County Housing Authority voucher holders in 2016 was $288 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $541. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $154.

1. This Picture of Subsidized Households data field is the average wait time of those who received a voucher in the preceding 12 months. Due to special voucher programs like VASH, recent waiting list purges, or waiting list preferences the average wait time can vary significantly from one year to the next and it is entirely possible many current applicants on the waiting list have been waiting for assistance for far longer.